Kitten Milestones – Part one of two

 It’s really amazing to me how quickly kittens go from helpless newborns who can find their mother’s teat and suckle, but not much else, to fully functional speed racers who can climb, jump, pounce, and use a litter box perfectly in less than two months.
Dependent on Mom
When kittens are born, they are completely dependent on their mother for the first few weeks.  The mother feeds them, cleans them, and stimulates urination and defecation for her kittens. Moms start weaning their kittens at fun weeks of age, usually completing the process by six to eight weeks of age.
Eye Sight
Kittens are born with their eyes sealed shut. Their eyes open at about seven to 10 days of age, but their vision develops over several weeks, finally reaching full clarity at about 12 weeks of age.  If their eyes aren’t open by 10 days, there is any discharge seeping from their eyes, or their eyes become resealed after opening, quickly seek veterinary attention.  Infection trapped within sealed lids can permanently damage delicate corneas.
Hearing
Kitten hearing isn’t very developed at birth, taking a few weeks to become acutely sensitive. The most developed sense at birth for kittens is their sense of smell, helping them to find their all important source of food, Mom’s teat.
Potty Training
Within three to four weeks of birth, kittens have developed the ability to initiate their own elimination, and are taking unsteady steps toward a litter pan.  The instinct to bury waste in innate, so no training is necessary to prompt litter box usage.  Kittens who have a mother to train them will learn how to cover their waste; orphaned kittens don’t always learn that nicety.  By six weeks of age a kitten should be fully litter box trained. If not, that issue should be addressed at the first well kitten vet visit, as there may be a physical problem.
Please read the continuation of the article in the June issue of The Magazine of Santa Clarita.
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